Refuting the TASS Statement

THE Soviet news agency TASS issued a statement on December 5, 1971. On the Indo-Pakistan situation, the statement stands truth on its head, confuses right and wrong, flagrantly interferes in the internal affairs of Pakistan and instigates with utmost effort the Indian Government to enlarge its armed aggression against Pakistan. At a time when tension is rapidly mounting in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent, the TASS statement which smells strongly of gunpowder warrants serious attention. In its statement, TASS started off by saying that "the Pakistan Government's actions'* in East Pakistan were "the main cause of the tension" between India and Pakistan. This is sheer nonsense. The East Pakistan question is entirely Pakistan's internal affair. How can the internal affair of one country become the main cause of tension between states? TASS has glossed over the fundamental fact, that is, the Indian Government's interference, subversion and aggression in Pakistan. Indian troops have since the latter half of last month launched large-scale armed attacks on Pakistan and occupied its territory. Why did TASS pretend not to see this? The Indian Prime Minister openly clamoured for the withdrawal of Pakistan troops from their own territory, East Pakistan. The Indian Minister of Defence flagrantly cried that the Indian troops which have crossed the border and invaded Pakistan may "go across as far as necessary." Why did TASS pretend not to hear this? Facts show quite clearly that "the main cause of the tension" is none other than the support and. encouragement given by Soviet revisionist social-imperialism to the Indian reactionaries in their aggression and expansion against Pakistan. Pakistan is an independent and sovereign state. No country is entitled to interfere in its internal affairs. Nevertheless, the TASS statement, in the tone of an overlord, told Pakistan that it must do this and do that. This is another performance of Soviet revisionist social-imperialism in trampling on the norms of international relations at will and grossly interfering in other country's internal affairs. In so doing, it is flagrantly supporting the Indian reactionaries to create a puppet "Bangla Desh." In the 30s, Japanese imperialism rigged up a puppet "Manchukuo" in northeast China, and, acting in close co-ordination, the German and Italian fascists "recognized" it. Now, the so-called "Bangla Desh" has not yet been thrust into Pakistan, yet at the U.N. Security Council meeting the Soviet representative wanted to "invite" the representative of "Bangla Desh" to the meeting. This shows how eager and impatient Soviet revisionist social-imperialism is! The TASS statement advertised the Soviet Government as "consistently coming out for the preservation of peace in the Hindustan Peninsula" and that it "comes out for the speediest ending of the bloodshed." This is 100 per cent hypocrisy. In the same statement, TASS declared with ulterior motives that the "Soviet Union cannot remain indifferent to the developments, considering also the circumstance that they are taking place in direct proximity of the U.S.S.R.'s borders and, therefore, involve the interests of its security," This is really an unheard-of absurdity! It is crystal clear that you, the superpower, in collusion with the Indian expansionists, have been bullying Pakistan. How could it be said to the contrary that the security of the Soviet Union is threatered? You occupied by armed force your neighbour Czechoslovakia several years ago by flaunting the banner of so-called defending "security." Now, by making special mention about "in direct proximity of the U.S.S.R.'s borders," are you going to take action? This is barefaced blackmail and intimidation. While paying lip service to "peace," Soviet revisionist social-imperialism is actually doing its utmost to stir up trouble and pour oil on fire by instigating the Indian Government to proceed unscrupulously along the road of military venture. One of the main aims of the Soviet-Indian treaty of military alliance concluded last August is to support India in committing aggression and expansion and annexing East Pakistan. This has been fully borne out by the development of events. The TASS statement exposes once again the ugly features of the Soviet revisionist renegade clique. People can see from this that this superpower is trying, by taking advantage of the aggravation of the Indo-Pakistan situation, to further control India and expand its sphere of influence in the Subcontinent and the Indian Ocean. But its scheme will never succeed. The Pakistan people are waging a just struggle to defend their state sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Indian people will eventually see through Soviet revisionist social-imperialism as their false friend. All peace-loving and justice-upholding countries and peoples demand that India's armed aggression against Pakistan be checked. It can be said with certainty that Soviet revisionism will come to no good end in pushing the policy of social-imperialism in the Indo-Pakistan situation.